


Four's Company - Stories from Unova

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28915596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A (somewhat) more mature retelling of Pokémon Black and White in which Hilda, Hilbert, Nate and  Rosa travel the Unova Region together. Based on the original games, but creative liberties have been taken. Will be full of fluff, romance, lewdness and slice-of-life stuff, and I’m not sorry for it >:D
Kudos: 2





	Four's Company - Stories from Unova

_Nuvema Town – a small town in the regional areas of South-eastern Unova. Its inhabitants enjoy a peaceful life, sequestered away from the troubles of the world, and living in peace and comfort alongside Pokémon. The perfect place to raise a child – or two, in the case of the Black twins. However, Hilda and Hilbert are children no longer, and the story of their journey throughout the Unova region and beyond is about to begin…_

\---Hilda---

Hilda awoke to the sharp buzzing sound of her bedside alarm. The time on the clock read 6:00 – perfect. She rolled out of bed, having already dressed in her running gear the night before. Hilda didn’t usually make a habit of sleeping in her day clothes, but today was special, and she needed an early start. Briefly stopping by her mirror, she bundled her hair into a high scrunchie, gave herself a confident smile, and made for the bedroom door. This is it.

She darted down the hallway, making sure to give her brother’s door a hearty kick on the way. “Wake up, lazybones! Today’s the big day!”

“Ughhhhhh,” Hilbert groaned weakly from his bed. “’s to early. Wake me up in another three hours.”

Hilda was already gone like a breeze – down the stairs, grabbing an apple from the kitchen counter, and out the front door into the bracing winter air. Hilda laced up her shoes and began her warm-up routine while casually munching on her apple.

Hilda was nonchalantly stretching her leg on a fence-post when she was approached by a tall, raven-haired boy in glasses. “You’re taking your sweet time,” he said wryly.

“I said 6:05, it’s 6:03. Not my fault you’re impatient,” Hilda shot back with a slightly mocking tone.  
“Said the pot to the kettle.”

“Fuck you, Cheren,” Hilda threw the apple core at him and started her morning run around the dirt roads and grassy paths of Nuvema.

Cheren caught up to her in seconds. “I love you too,” he drawled, his voice dripping with irony.

\---

Hilda and Cheren weren’t together. Sure, they ran together every morning, and they’d studied for finals together every afternoon, and they’d been virtually inseparable since they were, like, five – but they weren’t together together. They liked each other. They respected each other. There weren’t many other people in Nuvema town who shared their drive, their desire to get out and make something of themselves. Their other friends didn’t get it. Hilbert certainly didn’t, the slacker.

In Nuvema Town, there was something of a local tradition when it came to finishing high school. Professor Juniper, the local Pokémon researcher, gave out a rare and strong Pokémon to whoever got the top three grades at the end of the year. For a poor kid from the country, a free Pokémon – not to mention the professor’s guidance – was a free ticket away from the boonies, towards an exciting career as a Trainer, and maybe even fame and fortune beyond their wildest dreams. Cheren had come in first-place by a single mark, with Hilda close behind. Somehow – Hilda couldn’t believe it herself – her lazy, no-good, ambition-less brother Hilbert had managed to snag third place.

It wasn’t as if Hilda didn’t like her brother. Actually, they’d always been quite close, as twins tended to be. However, there was just something about the thought of being in the same league as him that irked her. She always had to be the best, and if Hilbert was standing in the way of that, then he’d be crushed like everyone else.

“Something on your mind,” Cheren said flatly as the two rounded a corner.

“No, I’m fine.”

“That wasn’t a question, Hilda, it was a statement.”

“You’re right,” she huffed. “I don’t know, I guess it’s just nerves.”

“You’ll be amazing,” Cheren responded in a rare moment of praise. “We’ll both be amazing. I mean, there can only be one Champion, but--”

“It’s okay, you can win the Championship!” Hilda teased. “I’ll wait until you’ve done it so I can take it from your bony fingers.”

“You wish,” Cheren shot back. “I’m the Red here, and you’re the Blue.”

“No way!”

“Uh-huh.”

The two friends laughed and bickered as they ran off under the glow of the rising sun.

\---Hilbert---

Hilbert lay on his back, staring up at the slowly rotating fan on his bedroom ceiling. He let out an elongated sigh. In the distance, through the window, he could hear laughter. Hilda and Cheren, probably, off being sporty and ambitious together as usual. Coming home from their run, minds focused, bodies energised. Maybe years ago, there was a time when he’d have been able to join them. Not anymore, though.

Hilbert had felt like his life was unravelling for a while now. He wasn’t depressed – at least, he didn’t think so. He just didn’t feel any sense of purpose, any direction. Here he was, eighteen years old, on the cusp of manhood, and yet he felt so… small. Like there was so much out there to see in the world, but he’d never be able to understand any of it. Like it wasn’t for him. Like he was a side character in someone else’s story, the second twin, the afterthought.

Was that about to change? He’d never really thought about becoming a Trainer, but today was the day that Professor Juniper had picked out. Today was to be the day he left home. Today, he would get his Pokémon. Hilbert felt a pang of guilt rush through his body. He didn’t deserve this. This wasn’t his future to claim. He’d never asked for this, but cruel fate had seen fit to thrust it upon him anyway.

He looked over at his bedside clock. 7:46.

Sighing, he dragged himself out of bed, grabbed a towel, and stumbled towards the bathroom. He knew Hilda would never let him hear the end of it if he wasn’t up on time, today of all days. Letting the steamy water wash over him, he took a deep breath, and exhaled. Time to put on the mask. If you asked most of Nuvema’s younger population about Bertie Black, they’d probably tell you that he was a cool character – didn’t talk a lot, but didn’t need to. His sister was really cool, so he must be too, right? He’d never done anything to suggest otherwise. He was funny sometimes, smart sometimes, usually friendly enough. Great at video games. Likeable. That’s the persona that Hilbert had made for himself, and it worked out well. It protected him. Only two people really saw through it, and one of them had shared a womb with him. The other one was probably eating the last of his breakfast cereal downstairs, the smug four-eyed prick.

Hilbert towelled himself off and dressed in his usual getup – light blue hoodie, black trousers, and a Trainer’s cap. It was a meaningless gift from an absent father he’d seen maybe once or twice in his life, but he’d never thought to buy a different one. He slapped the sides of his face. Mask on.

Hilda and Cheren were chatting and laughing in the kitchen as Hilbert came down the stairs. His mom was there too, making pancakes as she always did whenever there was a special occasion. On the table there sat a large yellow box, adorned with a ribbon.

“Good morning, Bertie,” Mom smiled. “Want anything to eat? You’ve got a long day ahead of you on the road – Cheren tells me you’ll be trying to make it to Accumula Town today!”

“Who died and made him king?”

“Well, unless you know a better way to get to--”

“Enough bickering, you two,” Mom interjected. “Have some more pancakes, dear.”

Hilbert sat down and looked across the table at his sister and her best friend. So alike, yet so different. Hilda was short-ish, with a massive crop of wavy, long hair that made all the other girls jealous. There were probably a lot of other things about her that made the girls jealous too, but he tried not to think about that too much. She was good-looking for sure, and she dressed so that it showed, with tight short-sleeved athletic tops and short shorts purposefully cut to show off her legs. That’s what Hilbert had gathered from the way his friends looked at her, anyway – he never really had a good eye for women, and she was his sister, for Arceus’ sake.

Cheren, on the other hand, was tall, slim, straight-haired and straight-laced. His glasses, and the way he always pushed them up with his middle finger, made him look like a massive nerd, Hilbert had always thought. Although, Cheren was definitely no weakling – they’d been in a few arguments that had turned physical over the years, and though it never came to serious blows, Hilbert could tell that the guy kept himself in good condition. He wasn’t really popular with the girls, and didn’t really have any friends aside from Hilda, which he was seemingly fine with. Hilbert thought that was suspicious, and had always kept a close eye out when Cheren was around.

Hilbert wondered what they thought about him, deep down.

Hilda brought him back to reality. “Alright! How ‘bout we open this box?” she exclaimed with a look of determination on her face. Cheren nodded, and adjusted his glasses pensively.

Hilda pulled at the ribbon, untied it in one fluid motion, and gave it a theatrical twirl. “Well, what do we have here?”

Inside the box lay three red and white Pokéballs, and a note from Professor Juniper. Hilda read it aloud. “To you three young Trainers-to-be, I offer my most heartfelt congratulations. In this box, I have selected a Snivy, a Tepig, and an Oshawott – all young and full of potential, just like the three of you. You are all good friends, so I trust you to decide who takes which Pokémon amongst yourselves. Come see me at the Pokémon Lab at 10am sharp – I have another gift for you! Yours truly, Professor Aurea Juniper.”

“I call first!” Hilda immediately cried out after she finished reading the note. She reached out and grabbed Tepig’s ball without hesitation.

“Can’t argue with that,” Cheren shrugged.

Hilbert narrowed his eyes. The Cheren he knew wouldn’t concede so easily. He was up to something, and the worst part was that Hilbert couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.

“Mind if I take the Snivy?” Cheren asked. “It’s always been my favourite, ever since I was a kid.”

“Heh, yeah, alright,” Hilbert replied. “It suits your smug ass. I wanted Oshawott anyway.” Truthfully, Hilbert didn’t really care which Pokémon he was given. It wasn’t like he was going to keep it, anyway.

The wave of guilt returned. “I-I need to go somewhere,” Hilbert blurted out. “I’ll see you at the lab later, okay?”

‘Uhh, not okay,” Hilda retorted. “We need to have a battle first, coward!”

Hilbert was already out the door, the peak of his cap down over his face, running away against the bitter wind.

\---

Hilbert wasn’t running away from his obligations, no matter what Hilda and Cheren thought of it. To tell the truth, he was running towards them. He hadn’t come third place in grades honestly, which meant that the little Oshawott in its Pokeball wasn’t honestly his. Hilbert needed to set things right.

He reached a two-storey house of a similar design to his own, surrounded by a neat picket fence. Bending down, he picked up a pebble from the dirt path, and pelted it at one of the upstairs windows. Within seconds, a bespectacled blonde head popped up. “B-Bertie? You’re not usually up this early!”

“Come down here, I need to show you something.”

The face disappeared from the window, and moments later its owner appeared at the door. Bianca, Hilbert’s longest-standing childhood friend, was the reason Hilbert even had this Oshawott to begin with. All sweaters and berets, Bianca dressed like someone fifty years her senior while  
simultaneously managing to have all the grace and spatial awareness of a newborn giraffe. Rushing in for a hug, she tripped over herself and landed in a heap at Hilbert’s feet. “Waaaagh~”

More than used to helping her up, Hilbert extended a hand. “C’mon, we need to talk. Come with me.”

The two wandered to a nearby park, where they sat on the grass in the shade of a grand old oak tree. “What’s this about, Bertie?” Bianca asked quizzically.

“Okay, so, you know how you let me copy from you all throughout high school?”

“Uh-huh?”

“And you know how you helped me study every day, so I’d get decent grades and stuff?”

Bianca nodded.

“Well, this Oshawott here should really belong to you.” Hilbert released him from his Pokéball, and the little blue and white creature scampered around between them. “You worked so hard to help me, you ended up forgetting about yourself. I wouldn’t have gotten this little guy if it wasn’t for you, so he’s yours. I don’t even really care about being a trainer – I belong here, and you deserve to travel and see the world. It would be wasted on me.”

Bianca lowered her head, and tears began to well in her eyes. “Oh Bertie, you really are so selfish sometimes.”

“W-what?”

“You’re all so wrapped up in what you think I deserve. What about what I want?”

Hilbert was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Bianca grabbed his hands, small tears on her cheeks. “I don’t want to be a trainer! If you’d ever listened to anything I ever said, you’d know that by now! You’re so wrapped up in feeling sorry for yourself that you don’t even notice when you get an opportunity to change things around! There’s a whole world outside this stupid little town for you to explore, and all you need to do is take that Pokémon and run as far as you can! I don’t want it… I j-just want you to be happy!”

Bianca collapsed into Hilbert’s arms, sobbing. He never knew what to do when she broke down like this. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “O-okay, Bianca. I’ll take it. But you--”

“I’ll catch up with you eventually! I’ve got my own plans, don’t you worry. You can’t get away from me that easily!”

Hilbert sighed internally. _I guess I’m not getting out of this adventure after all._ He relaxed into Bianca’s embrace, and the two friends sat in silence for a while, thinking of nothing, just feeling.

\---Hilda---

10:00am. Hilbert arrived at Juniper’s Lab with red eyes, and the Oshawott in tow. Something was up – call it a twin’s intuition, or just call it basic observational skills, but Hilda could tell when her brother was going through something tough. Cheren, on the other hand, seemingly noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

“Ah, what a pleasant surprise! The prodigal son returns!”

Hilbert gave no response, just a pointed look towards his sister that suggested “ _Doesn’t he ever shut up?_ ”  
Hilda glanced back. “ _Nope. You’re shit outta luck, bro_.”

Hilbert rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, Professor Juniper emerged from the back room of the lab, a bright smile on her face. “Ah, welcome, children – or should I say young lady and gentlemen, hm? Allow me to explain why I have brought you here today. You see, I am Professor Juni--”

“Yeah, we know who you are,” Cheren interjected derisively.

“Now, now, this is a special occasion, so a bit of formality is warranted, don’t you think? Now, you see, before you head out into the great wide world, I want to give you these.”

Juniper produced three small red devices from her pocket, and handed them out. “These are Pokédexes, just like the ones used by famous Trainers and explorers alike before you. You see, there is still much we don’t know about the creatures that inhabit the Unova region, and these devices will record data as you meet new Pokémon, which will prove invaluable for my research!”

Hilda looked at the red touchscreen in her hand. _So, this is to help the Professor, huh? Sorry lady, but I don’t know if Champions have time for that sort of thing. Maybe it can take good pictures, though._ She gave Cheren the eye, and could tell he was thinking the same thing.

\---

Juniper showered them in Pokéballs and wishes of good luck, and soon enough, Hilda, Hilbert and Cheren were at the start of Route 1, their families and friends gathered behind them. For Hilda, the goodbyes were like a blur, her heart pounding in her chest. Her mother’s words rang empty in her ears – all she could hear were the cries of adulation and adoration she knew awaited her at the end of her adventure. Watch out Unova, she thought to herself. Your next Champion is coming.

Hilda took her first step onto the route, her brother and best friend behind her. The legend she’d been waiting for her entire life had finally begun.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is the first chapter of my little project I'm working on. Please let me know what you think, I'm not too experienced with fic writing so I could probably use some improvement.  
> This is not intended to be a direct 1:1 adaptation of Black/White, it simply uses the existing story as a scaffold for smaller, character focused stories. That being said, the major plot points will come up and will be important, but may play out slightly differently to the games. Oh yeah, there will also be some romance too (incl. possible spicy content), because I love that shit >:D
> 
> Look forward to Nate and Rosa in the next chapter!


End file.
